Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be drawn towards the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Occupation Details

Hydrographic Surveyor

Education Most of these occupations require qualifications at NFQ Levels 7 or 8 (Ordinary / Honours Degrees) but some do not.

Related Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an engineer must complete four years of college and work for several years in engineering to be considered qualified.

Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Hydrographic surveyors carry out surveys of oceans, ports, harbours and inland waterways and rivers. They find out water depths and measure tides and currents. They also locate, identify and measure physical features such as rocks, sandbanks and sunken wrecks. They use a range of instruments such as GPS, echo sounders and Total Stations. When they've collected the information, they analyse it using computers.

Hydrographic surveyors make offshore surveys to find out where ships and boats can travel, to find suitable locations for oil or gas rigs, to develop sea mining projects or to aid the recovery of a sunken wreck. They make inshore surveys on rivers and canals to predict the environmental effects of building marinas or flood defences, assess the progress of dredging and maintain river channels for boats to use. Hydrographic cartographers use the survey data to produce and improve marine charts, navigation aids and oceanographic publications.

Hydrographic surveyors often have to work outdoors in cold, wet conditions. Many safety regulations apply to working in or near the marine environment. Hydrographic surveyors need to wear a hard hat on construction sites.

Tasks & Activities

The following is a list of the most commonly reported tasks and activities for this occupation

Verify the accuracy of survey data including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.

Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.

Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills

The following is a list of the most commonly reported skills used in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Personal Qualities

As a hydrographic surveyor you will need a good understanding of science, maths, technology and computers. Knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) is essential. You should be analytical, accurate and able to pay attention to detail.

You will need a wide knowledge of marine construction and law and should enjoy working in or near a marine environment. Navigation skills and experience of handling small marine craft are also useful.

In dealing with planning matters with local and national authorities you will need to have good communication skills, both written and oral communication skills are very important. You need good teamwork skills to support and work alongside colleagues, for example, geologists or other engineers.

Entry Routes

The most direct route is to complete a relevant degree. These include geomatics, environmental science, geography or marine science.

There are postgraduate courses in hydrographic surveying available in the UK.

Most entrants will have an honours degree. In order to qualify as a chartered surveyor you must either pass or obtain an exemption from the examinations of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). You must also undertake a minimum period of training and work experience.

Throughout your career you will be expected to keep up to date by undertaking continual professional development (CPD), usually by attending short courses. It is also possible to qualify as a land surveyor and then learn the necessary skills for hydrographic work.

Search for Related Courses from Qualifax - the National Learners Database

Higher Ed & CAO Course suggestions

If you are interested in this occupation, then the following courses may also be of interest. Note that these course suggestions are not intended to indicate that they lead directly to this occupation, only that they are related in some way and may be worth exploring.

If you are interested in this occupation, then the following courses may also be of interest. Note that these course suggestions are not intended to indicate that they lead directly to this occupation, only that they are related in some way and may be worth exploring.